The Origins & Evolution of the German Language

The history of German spans over 1,500 years, evolving from a dialect continuum into a standardized national language.

Timeline

• ~1st Century AD: Germanic tribes settle present-day Germany, Denmark, Netherlands. They speak Proto-Germanic, the reconstructed ancestor of all Germanic languages.
• 6th–11th Century: Old High German (OHG)—first written records (glosses, Hildebrandslied). High German consonant shift distinguishes it from Low German, Dutch, English.
• 11th–14th Century: Middle High German (MHG)—literary flowering (Nibelungenlied, Minnesang). Still a dialect continuum.
• 14th–17th Century: Early New High German—Luther's Bible (1522–1534) becomes de facto standard. Printing press accelerates standardization.
• 17th Century–Present: New High German (NHG)—grammars, dictionaries (Adelung, Duden) codify standard. 1901 orthography conference unifies spelling.

Key Influences

• Latin: Church, scholarship, law (loanwords: Kaiser, Kreuz, Schule)
• French: 17th–18th century court culture (Bureau, Etage, Restaurant)
• English: Post-WWII, tech, business (Computer, Meeting, downloaden)

Dialects Survive

Despite standard German (Hochdeutsch), strong regional dialects persist: Bavarian, Alemannic, Franconian, Saxon, Low German (Plattdeutsch)—some mutually unintelligible with standard.